Pledgeofallegiance and Luke Morris, far side© Photo Healy Racing
Sir Mark Prescott celebrated his first Royal Ascot winner since Pivotal in 1996 when Pledgeofallegiance saw off all-comers to win the Ascot Stakes.
Prescott, who won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Alpinista in 2022, was saddling just his third winner at the meeting in all, with Wizard King in the 1994 Britannia his only other success.
Drawn one, jockey Luke Morris had been worried about being able to take up an early position, but with Boher Road going a good early gallop, he was able to slot in behind before striking for home a long way out.
Divine Comedy burst out of the pack to chase him down, but the 20-1 chance – who went for 450,000 guineas as a yearling – held on by half a length.
Prescott said: “He’s a lovely horse and the only thing he has done wrong in his life is cost all that money and then after that the expectation is so high on him. If he couldn’t win the Derby then the next best thing was to win at Royal Ascot and I’m glad he has.
“I was very concerned about the draw, I had a thoroughly bad day when I found out his position. My secretary is very good, but not completely racing-minded about the minute details and I came back from third lot to find out Trooper Bisdee had been balloted out by one at 9.59am and I said ‘don’t tell me the other horse is drawn one’ – she said ‘oh yes’, which was just what I didn’t want.
“Luke got it right and there was enough room for him to keep pushing and get where we wanted. It was one of those races where I can’t remember one going so well since Alborada got the pacemaker and High-Rise didn’t (in the 1999 Champion Stakes). Everything went just as we planned it.
“I like planning, it gives me great satisfaction. I like feeling that we have been a part of the process and it is not just because it’s a good horse. It has been the obvious race for him since last year and we’ve just had to creep there. The owners have been very good and said if that is what you want to do then go for it.
“It’s been too long without a winner here and Pivotal was a long time ago. I’d honestly forgotten it was that long ago. It’s very good and when those plans go right then you are churlish if you don’t enjoy it.”
Israr fairly bolted up in the Listed Wolferton Stakes for John and Thady Gosden under Jim Crowley.
The 5-2 favourite was dropping markedly in class having chased home the very promising Passenger last time out at Chester in the Group Two Huxley Stakes.
With Ancient Rome streaking clear under Jamie Spencer the early pace was red hot, but when it unsurprisingly collapsed, Crowley found himself upsides with a double handful.
For a horse with a lot of placed efforts to his name, he kept going strongly to win by three and a quarter lengths from the Wathnan Racing-owned duo of Haunted Dream and Torito.
Gosden said: “He’s a grand horse and we’ve freshened him up for Ascot. He’s won it well and he might have to move up in company now.
“He’s been bumping into some good horses and he’s a tough old dude, he’s Taghrooda’s brother.
“He looked better than a Listed horse today and he got the dream run up the inside. Normally it doesn’t open up, but they went a good gallop and the Red Sea parted and Jim said he got there too soon, but he did it very well.”
The Copper Horse Handicap brought day one of the Royal meeting to a close and having struck gold with Vauban in last year’s renewal, Willie Mullins doubled up with Belloccio at 4-1.
Formerly trained on the Flat by David Menuisier, the grey made a successful debut over hurdles at Punchestown last month and was among the leading contenders on his return to the level.
William Buick produced his mount with a sustained challenge from the home turn and he eventually ran down Lmay to score by a length and a quarter, with My Mate Mozzie just a short head behind in third.
